William w



(No Model.) 8

W. W. GRIER.

FIFTH WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

No. 288,997. Patented Nov. 27, 1883.

FIG 3 11% E111 In:

FIG 2 ATENr Prion,

YVlLLIAM \V. GRIER, OF HULTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

FlFTH-WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,997, dated November 27', 1883.

Application filed August 29,1883. (x6 model.)

To (ti/Z whom it may concern.-

-Be itknown that l, X-ViLLixi-i W. GRIER, of Hulton, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Fifth VVheels for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective representation of my improved fifthwheel applied to the headblock and front axle of a buggy. Fig. 2 is a vertical section in the plane of the axis of the king-bolt, and at right angles to the head block. Fig. 3 is aplan View of Fig. 2, show-- ing a portion of the fifth-wheel and of the front axle, with the bevel-edged disk forming the head of the king-bolt in place. Fig. 4-is a vertical section through the line X X of Fig. 3.

In the several figures like letters of reference indicate the same parts.

My invention relates to the construction of fifth-wheels for vehicles, and is an improvement on the fifth-wheel described in Letters Patent No. 217,611, to myself and Horatio Barr, dated July 15, 1879; and it consists,

chiefly, in making the yoke of the king=bolt ff of the shape of the frustum of a cone and the cavity of the yoke of the saddle-brace of a corresponding shape, and the combination therewith of washers, by means of which a close joint can always be maintained between the yoke of the king-bolt and that of the saddle-brace, notwithstanding the wearing away of those parts by constant friction in use.

My improved fifth-wheel is designed for use in running gear for vehicles 1 having side springs and no perch, and, as shown in the accompanying drawings, is adapted especially for the running-gear known in the trade as Dexter Queen, 7 having two pairs of springs, the lower pair of which is attached at the rear end to the hind axle. near to its outer end, and thence converge toward the fifth-wheel, where they are attached to a springhanger connected therewith. It may, however, be used with vehicle running-gear in which the springs are otherwise arranged.

In the drawings, A is the front axle of the vehicle, (which is represented as broken off at each end,) and B is the wooden axle-bed,

placed upon the axle, and G is the bolster or head-block, to which the'upper pair of springs of the vehicle is attached.

Between the head-block G and the axle-bed B are placed two frictionplat-es, b 0, the friction-plate a being fastened to the headblock C by means of screw-bolts a a and nuts, as shown in Fig. 1, the heads of the bolts being countersunk in the friction-plate c. The friction-plate b is similarly attached to the axlebed B.

D is the king-bolt, which extends upward through the two friction-plates be and through a hole bored through the head-block G for that purpose, and is fastened by a nut, n, on the upper extremity of the king-bolt, which is threaded for that purpose. Below the lower friction-plate, b, the king-boltD is bifurcated, as shown in 2, so as to embrace the axlebed B and axle A. A saddle-brace, E, of inverted-U shape, extends downward over the top of the head-block O in the same vertical plane as the bifurcated legs (I d of the king-bolt, an eye, 6, being formed in the center of the bend of the saddle-brace, through which the upper extremity of the king-bolt passes, and which serves as a washer for the king-bolt nut n.

At the lower end of the saddle-brace E is the yoke F of the saddle-brace, through holes in which the two extremities of the U- shaped saddle-brace E pass, and to which it is secured by the nuts or in. Between the under side of the front axle, A, and the upper surface of the saddle-brace yoke F are interposed a circular leather washer, G, placed next to the yoke, and of suflicient size to cover the circular hole in the yoke F and extend for a short distance beyond the circumference of the hole on the upper surface of the yoke, and a circular metallic disk, H, next to the axle and above the leather washer. The disk H has two spurs, h, projecting from its upper surface, (one of which only is shown in Fig. 4,) which enter corresponding holes in the under side of the axle A, and two or more projectionsyi hare formed on the upper surface of the disk H,-the distance between them on opposite sides of the axle being just the width of the axle at that point, so that the axle lies between them, and thus the disk H is forced to turnwith the axle. These proj eotions i3 may be conveniently formed by punching up the metal of the disk, thus forming holes on the lower side of the disk, into which the leather of the washer G is forced, thus causing the leather washer also to turn with the disk H and axle A. Y

Midway from either end and from each side of the saddle-brace yoke F is a circular hole, the sides of which flare downward, so as to receive and form a socket forthe circular yoke 101" the king-bolt. This yoke I is of the shape of the frustum of a cone, the smaller diameter being uppermost. The upper diameter of the king-bolt yoke I is somewhat larger than the corresponding diameter of its socket in the saddle-brace yoke F, as shown in Fig. 4, so that when in place there is a space left between the upper surface of the yoke I and the leather washer G, which lies on the upper surface of the saddle-brace yoke F, and the surfaces of the socket and of the yoke I are turned smooth, so that the yoke I may turn on its axisin its socket in the yoke F with as little friction as possible. The purpose of thus making the circular yoke I audits socket in the yoke F with beveled sides (or shaped like the frustum of a cone) is that as these surfaces gradually wear away by the turning of the axle on its fifth-wheel the yoke I in ayenter more deeply into its socket, and thus form at all times a close-fitting connection. This is an important feature of my invention, because where the sides of the king-bolt yoke and of its socket are straight or parallel to their axes the king-bolt yoke gradually wears away and becomes of smaller diameter, while its socket in like manner increases in diameter, and the fifth-wheel becomes loose, tending greatly to weaken the run ninggear at that point and causing it to rattle.

The king-bolt yoke I is sccuredby nuts 9 g to the loose extremities of the legs (1 d of the bifurcated king-bolt, which pass through two holes in the yoke I, one immediately in front of the axle A and the other immediately inits rear. Corresponding holes, k, are made in the disk H, and also in the leather washer G, for the legs (1 (Z of theking-bolt to pass through.

The space between the upper surface of the king-bolt yoke I and the leather washer G is filled by washers made of sheet-iron. As many of these are used as may be necessary to fill the cavity, and as the yoke I and its socket in the yoke F wear away by friction, from time to time one of these thin metallic washers may be removed, so as to allow the yoke I to enter more deeply into its socket. These washers, by filling up the space above the yoke I, prevent it from fitting so tightly in its socket as to interfere with the freedom of motion between the parts,'and'from getting wedged in so tightly as to become fastened.

The saddle-yoke F is extended lengthwise, parallel with the axle at both ends, as far as may be necessary, according to the distance apart of the two front ends of the carriagesprings K K, and a clip, L, at each end of the saddle-braceyoke F, receivesthesprings,which are attached thereto in the usual way by screwbolts.

From the description above given it will be seen that the kin g-bolt D, with its'legs (Z (Z and yoke-I, when the nuts 9 g are screwed up, hold the axle A with its-axle-bed B and yoke firmly connected together, so that when the axle A is turned they all turn together, the yoke I and the upper portion, D, of the king-bolt forming the bearings, while the head-block O and saddle-brace yoke F (being connected to gether by the saddle-brace E and the nuts on m) remain relatively stationary.

In case the fifth-wheel becomes loose by wear,

it will be only necessary to remove the nuts 1 y, when the yoke I will drop out of its socket, and then, by removing one or more of thin sheet-metal washers p and replacing the yoke I and screwing up the nuts 9 9, all looseness of connection in the fifth-wheel is removed. I have described the saddle-brace yoke F as forming also the spring-hanger for the vehicle-springs K K. This, however, is not necessary, as the springs may be otherwise attached, and the yoke F of the saddle-brace E otherwise connected with that part of the running-gear which is stationary relatively to the front axle.

If preferred, a spiral spring or elastic packing may be placed in the cavity between the yoke I and leather washer G, instead of the thin metallic washers 19.

Having thus described my improvement, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. ,In fifth-wheels for vehicles, the combina tion, with the front axle and head-block of the iunninggear, of a king-bolt having a circular beveled yoke, a saddle-brace, and its yoke having a correspondingly-beveled socket, substantially as described.

2. As a fifth-wheel for vehicles, the circular beveled yoke I and correspondingly-socketed plate or yoke F, the former being rigidly connected with the king-bolt and the latter with the bolster or head-block, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a fifth-wheel for vehicles, the combination of the circular beveled yoke I and socketed plate or yoke F, the former rigidly connected with the king-bolt and the latter with the head-'block, and the thin metallic washers p, constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a fifth-wheel for vehicles, the combina tion of a king-bolt provided with a circular beveled yoke, a saddle-brace provided with a socketed plate or yoke for the reception of the yoke of the king-bolt, a covering disk orwasher adaptedto close the opening in the upper face of the saddle-brace yoke, and a series of thin metallic washers interposed between the yoke of the king-bolt and the covering disk or washer of the saddle-brace yoke, substantially as' and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of August, A. D. 1883.

IVILLIAM IV. GRIER.

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